Bastionshire
General Information: Government Style: Theocracy lead by the head priests of Rao who live in the Lunatorre (the great white tower in the center of the city.) Claim to Fame: It is the largest, most well known, most populated, most travelled to city in all of Solusera and the headquarters of the Rao religion which is the predominant religion of the region. ' ' Location: Geography: The city has low hills to the west, a vast forest to the north, and grassland plains to the south and east. Further east looms great mountains. Places of interest: Shops List: The Emporium - The largest general goods store in Bastionshire. - Owner: Gavlsnout - A large, fat orc who is amazing at bargaining, calculating figures and anticipating market changes. He will always bargain for the best deal. - General wares available: Nearly any general ware can be found here but the shop lacks specialty items. The store is a vast warehouse located in the mid-Bazaar. - Items of interest: Helm of Telepathy - Uncomm on Ring of Resistance- Rare Cape of the Mountebank - Rare Lucky Sword - Legendary Rope of Climbing - Uncommon Potion of Giant Strength (Frost Giant) - Rare Ring of Fire Elemental Command - Legendary ' ' Mathias's Rook - A shop that has become famous for its rare inventory despite its small size. Only those that Mathias deems worthy are allowed entrance. - Owner: Mathias - An ancient elf who cares deeply for his shop and its wares, he will charge reasonable prices but money is of little importance to him. He cares much more about the respect his clients show for the items they wish to buy. - General wares available: Ancient relics and magical artifacts. - Items of interest: Amulet of the Planes - Very Rare Armor of Invulnerability - Legendary Cloak of Arachnida - Very Rare Deck of Many Things - Legendary Anstruth Harp - Very Rare Mirror of Life Trapping - Very Rare Manual of Golems (Iron) - Very Rare Ring of Three Wishes - Legendary Robe of Stars - Very Rare Sphere of Annihilation - Legendary Staff of Healing - Rare ' ' The Broken Anvil - A relatively small smithy/armor and weapons shop run by a human and his family, passed down through the generations. - Owner: Haedrig - A human male in his mid forties who runs his humble smithy with his wife and two daughters. - General wares available: Weapons and armor wares/repairs plus a few specially crafted items. - Items of interest: Dragon Slayer - Rare Gauntlets of Ogre Power - Uncommon Mithril Chainmail - Uncommon Vorpal Sword - Legendary ' ' Brugha’s Trinkets - A jewelry shop run by a dwarven woman. The shop contains mostly non-magical jewelry but some artifacts and magically imbued pieces are also sold there. - Owner: Brugha - a stout, older dwarven woman who was an adventurous warrior in her younger days but retired to crafting and acquiring and selling fine and magical jewelry. - General wares available: Necklaces, rings, earrings, etc. - Items of interest: Amulet of Proof Against Detection and Location - Uncommon Brooch of Shielding - Uncommon Circlet of Blasting - Uncommon Blue and Yellow Elemental Gems - Uncommon Ioun Stone (Awareness and Sustenance) - Rare Necklace of Fireballs - Rare Periapt of Wound Closure - Uncommon Ring of Invisibility - Legendary Ring of Protection - Rare Ring of the Ram - Rare Ring of Water Walking - Uncommon ' ' Glory Brew - An apothecary run by Septimus Slate - Owner: Septimus Slate - a greasy, tall man in his fifties with a hooked nose and a slick black hair. He loves his shop too much to close it but seems to dislike customers. - General wares available: Potions and apothecary supplies. - Items of interest: Potion of Fire Breath - Uncommon Potion of Flying - Very Rare Potion of Giant Strength (Fire) - Rare Potion of Growth - Uncommon Potion of Greater Healing - Uncommon Potion of Invulnerability - Rare Potion of Longevity - Very Rare Potion of Speed - Very Rare Sovereign Glue - Legendary Universal Solvent - Legendary Oil of Etherealness - Rare Eversmoking Bottle - Uncommon Dust of Disappearance - Uncommon ' ' Demographics: Population: Local Population: 1.2 Million Visiting Population: 250,000 Major Religions: Raoism, Ehlonnaism Culture: Bastionshire is open and accepting of all races and ideologies as long as they do not cause harm, and extremely harsh to those who commit acts of violence within the city. The immense amount of trade and production that occurs ensures a diverse and dynamic community so people get very used to new faces and are surprised by very little. There are still some pockets within the population that hold a distrust of magic users. The Mage Wars took a heavy toll on Bastionshire and ruined much of the city, and it took the full intervening century to rebuild. Wealth distribution: The temple of Rao makes sure there is no poverty in Bastionshire, however wealth is highly concentrated in the central district of Bastionshire and diminishes as you get further away from the city’s center. Those on the outskirts are comfortable but have no fortune to their name. Further out in the residential district some lords and priests hold estates. Predominant Species: Dragonborn, elves, orcs, dwarves in that order (although nearly all species are present.) People of Interest: Fetra’Thoon (Dragonborn) - Arch Priestess of the order of Rao. Fetra is an elderly lady who spends much of her time organizing the massive efforts of the temple to keep the peace and make sure the city runs smoothly. She is kind but often distant as her time allows for few close friends. Pythios (Half - Dragon) - A head priest of one of the many Raoist temples in Bastionshire. He loves his disciples and the many who come to his temple for worship or services, especially the children. He would love his own children, though he currently has none. He is highly intelligent and knowledgeable about the order of Rao. He also occupies a much higher space in the Order than an ordinary head priest would, for he is the guardian of the sacred tunnels of Rao. Pythios is the son of Python, the first Golden Dragon, first among the Seven Golden Serpents and first lieutenant to Bahamut. City Description: As Bahamut and Tiamat split and became Takhisis and Rao, their dragon hoards clashed and the land was bathed in putrid lightning and cleansing fire. The once mighty body of Bahamut, now merely a husk, crashed into the sea, and immediately Takhisis and her brood fell upon it and laid claim to the ancient dragonfire within. Rao fled across the waves, his mighty army holding back his pursuers until he reached a distant shore, battered by heaving waves and howling winds. On he pressed, to the edge of a great forest. Only then did he dare to stop for a moment. It was there that he used the last of Bahamut’s Elder Magic that remained within him to cleave into the earth a mighty chasm. There he stored Bahamut’s waning soul, locking it in an impenetrable stone, then he stored its first key, a piece of three, deep below the earth, shaped into the form of a shepherd's crook. Then the ground was made hallowed and sealed against all those with malicious intent. Rao was unaware that this forest that bordered him was the birthplace of the planes most ancient race, the fae. And so it was that a fae child, peeking from between the branches saw Rao and his mighty act, and was in awe. Only then did Rao become aware of his watcher, and going to her with a gentle face and open arms he spoke. “I am Rao, first of Bahamut, mightiest of the Dawn. Time is against me, and so I must ask of you a favor.” The Fae daughter was frightened but intrigued, and she listened on. “In an age long distant, this hallowed ground must be recovered by the just forces, but there are none yet alive to witness its location. With your power over the plane of dreams, will you guide the pure of heart to this place? If you will do this I shall grant you a mighty boon.” The Fae daughter bowed her head in a sacred agreement, and Rao laid his wrinkled hand upon her and poured into her some piece of divine essence. “Rise now, and know that you and yours’ shall live forever, immortalized in the dreams of all beings.” And so as the Sky blackened and the storm consumed them, Rao fled to the Celestial plane, and the Fae daughter, now queen among her people, slipped quietly into dreams. ' ' A millennium became two, two became many, and when an age had passed and a new dawn came upon the land, the Fae Queen sought out the new life, those pure of heart. She went to them in dreams and showed them the hallowed ground of Bahamut’s scar, and bade them to come and settle there. So it was that the Order of Rao was born, and the first temple was built upon the scar. Many other temples were built as the dreams found more and more, and soon a covenant had formed. It was quite by coincidence that a band of elves had chosen this stretch of border forest to settle some years prior, wishing access to the great plains beyond. So it was that each took notice of the other, and being of Fae blood the elves found kinship in the dreams of the Order, and so each settlement expanded to meet the other and together they blossomed into a mighty city. A great tower was forged by the greatest elven stonemasons of the day, to conceal the first temple, built over the hallowed ground where Rao himself had stood. Now a thousand years again have passed, the age of reclamation has passed and made way for the age of restoration.